Franklin City Council approved a pair of resolutions to seek federal Community Development Block Grant funding for some storm sewer improvements and state funding for its portion of the costs to complete the final link of the Great Miami River Recreation Trail in 2020. FILE PHOTO

Franklin seeking grant to pay for extension of recreation trail

Franklin will seek grant funding to help it pay for extending the Great Miami River Recreation Trail and improving the city’s storm sewer system.

Franklin City Council approved a pair of resolutions to submit the grants on Monday.

The city will be applying for a Clean Ohio Trail Fund Grant for its share of the funding to construct the missing section of the recreational trail project. The $1.2 million Franklin portion of the project will connect 1.4 miles of the trail from Baxter Drive to the Warren/Butler county line or about 60 percent of the project.

The city of Middletown has scheduled extending the trail at the same time from near Breiel Boulevard to the county line to meet the Franklin portion.

In 2020, Franklin will be receiving federal funding through the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission and Middletown will be receiving federal funding through the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments.

Franklin officials are seeking about $191,250 from the state to cover 75 percent of its costs of $255,000. City Engineer Barry Conway said the grant is a reimbursement program and requires the city to pay the project costs upfront first.

The other grant request is seeking federal Community Development Block Grant funding for storm sewer improvements. The project would improve storm sewers at the end of Shawn Drive and east of Allen Street as well as replace 10 deteriorated catch basins.

The cost of the project is $220,000 and the city is seeking $165,000 in 2019 CDBG funding that is administered through Warren County. The city would cover the remaining $55,000 in project costs.